Publications by authors named "Evarist Njelesani"
Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) remains a disease of global health concern and a leading cause of mortality arising from an infectious agent. Protective immunity to TB remains unclear. Suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS3) and signal transduction and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) genes have shown potential to influence innate immunity.
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- - The study compares the immune response of HIV-positive and HIV-negative tuberculosis (TB) patients by analyzing the expression levels of certain cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-10) in whole blood after stimulation with heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
- - A total of 70 TB patients were enrolled, revealing that HIV-negative patients had significantly higher IL-6 levels than HIV-positive patients, particularly in those with CD4 counts below 500 cells/mm³.
- - Positive correlations were found between TNF-α and IL-6 in both HIV groups, indicating a relationship in immune response despite differences in their cytokine profiles.
Background: Studies from Asia and Europe indicate an association between vitamin D deficiency and susceptibility to TB. We performed an observational case-control study to determine vitamin D and cathelicidin (LL-37) levels and their association with active TB in newly diagnosed and microbiologically confirmed adult TB patients in Zambia, a high HIV prevalence setting.
Methods: Both total vitamin D and LL-37 were measured using ELISA from serum and supernatant isolated from cultured whole blood that was stimulated with heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis.